Welcome to Gaia! ::

Alexa was way up north at her home in the Spirit Forest. It was a wonder she even heard about the free trip that was supposed to happen soon. Well not really as she had so many siblings here that she was bound to hear about it from one of them. "A one week free getaway? I dunno Gormlaith. It sounds nice but I don't think I'd be able to make it. I'm pretty busy up here. Huh? What's that? You're breaking up..... Whoa okay okay. I am not being anti-social.... oh it's by the people who did the cruise and balloon trips? Well I haven't good things about those trips so I really don't think I should.... OKAY! Fine I'll go. Jeez. Why aren't you going Gormlaith? A contest? Gormlaith....." Alexa pulled her pokegear away and stared at it. Her step-sister sure was a pain.

She sighed and went upstairs to pack. "Guys! I'm going on a trip! Only one can come and stay out. The rest will have to either stay here or stay in their ball the entire time." She called out. She went into her room and packed her backpack with clothes, some winterish gear, and some survival gear as well. Her sling bag was packed with potions and other healing items with some food shoved in. "Vincent... stop trying to get in here. You know you're too big." She called to her Arcanine. Finally done with packing she grabbed her bags and walked back downstairs.

"Alright who's going?" She asked her pokemon. All seven were gathered around her and looking at her. Farvardin, her Houndoom, stepped forward eagerly. The others made noises like they didn't agree but she held up a hand. Next time step up faster. Farvardin gets to come this time. Anyone else will be stuck in their pokeball. Vincent I'd rather if you stayed here. Someone should stay to guard the house. I'll leave out food and you can get out to the berry garden. I'll also get Corbin or Doyle or Gormlaith to stop by." With that she recalled all her other pokemon but Stribog and Vincent and hooked them to her belt. She grabbed her winter gear, put it on, and walked out. She hopped on her Altaria's back and flew to where she used to live.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Landing in Motterossa Alexa returned Stribog and let out Farvardin. "Alright let's go find this meeting point." She said looking about. She found one of the flyers and read it. With a nod she began walking to the western border of town.

Robin Webber shivered, pulling his patched coat closer around himself as he studied the poster. He wasn't too sure about the activities, but free food and lodging alone would make it well worth the trip, and perhaps he could even earn a little cash playing his violin for the other attendees. It seemed promising.

The street musician frowned, hidden behind the long scarf wrapped around his face, at the small print. Clockwork Wastelands Balloon Rides.... He was sure he'd heard the Leoni boy rambling on about that to his cousin as they returned home in that ridiculous little chariot of theirs. Something about time travel? The kid had quite an imagination.

A warm cabin, well-stocked with food – surely there was nothing remotely risky about that. Robin was going. All he had to do was get from Katarina to Motterossa.

The man heard a soft purr and felt a warm weight brush around his ankles, and he looked down to see a sleek torbie Meowth rubbing her cheek against his faded jeans.

"Hello, Chopin." Robin hefted the feline into his arms, where she happily kneaded his chest. "Care to go on vacation with me?"

~*~***~*~

Robin hadn't had much to pack. He'd filled a worn backpack with his tattered blankets and a few cans of non-perishable foodstuffs for both himself and Chopin. Along with his clothing, already all piled on against the cold, that was virtually everything he owned. And then, of course, there was Elizabeth. The violin was as always in her own case, clutched tightly in Robin's hands.

It had been quite a hike from one city to the other, and the violinist had fretted over his depleted food stores. But they'd been promised food for a week, so the cans they had left need only serve as emergency rations. Chopin was hardly a burden, in any case, sniffing out berries for both of them, and for herself she surely pursued more... animated prey. Robin often thought that she took care of him more than the other way around.

They'd made it to Motterossa in the end – tired, but excited for the week ahead. With his meager belongings accounted for and Chopin at his side, Robin looked around in interest at the gathering crowd.

Alice was drinking coffee as she looked at the board of flyers, as she ripped one of them down and headed to her house.

The flyer was advertising on a snow winter wonderland getaway, free admission of one pokemon and person.

As she reached her destination, she went upstairs to instantly pack. The last time something like this happened, she had receive her first pokemon. And, even though the experience was bizarre, it was an adventure she would never forget.

She looked at her bag as she packed the essentials, emergency food and warm clothes, and a small carry on that held her winter gear, which will fold up to fit. There is enough room to pack for one of her pokemon.

"Come on out everyone!" She yelled as she tossed out her pokeballs.

Cottonee and Bidoof came out to greet her.

She then kneeled besides the floor and petted them.

Shimmer, her bidoof was her first pokemon that she had gotten from her trip. And her Cottonee, Lacey, was a pokemon that hatched from an egg she recieved from that very same trip.

Lacey was very excited to see her, yet Shimmer was as smug as ever.

"So which one of you would love to come with me on the trip?"

~*~*~*~*~

Alice took two steps forward, the sound of crunching snow beneath her feet, until the view came into place.

There, at the border, were people gathered and chattering about.

Alice debated on either to join them or not, as she shivered in her coat. Snow wasn't her favorite weather, only if she could stay inside.

A huge plopping sound was made right beside her and she turned. Shimmer, her bidoof, huffled and puffed beside her, obviously angry of coming out here.

Alice laughed nervously and Shimmer glared at her. Her bidoof hated on having her coat ruined. Then again, she is not use for competitive battles, she is a show pokemon, a contest pokemon.

Her poor Lacey. She wanted to go really badly but she was... a grass type pokemon and was afraid the cold wouldn't help her. So she left her at her mother's place.

She can still hear Lacey crying out to her and it made her tear up. Shimmer's glare intensified.

She wiped away her tears and then looked at the flyer then the people at the border. "What to do...."

((QUOTE ME FOR FREE INTERACTION >w< ))

Lennyka's communicator vibrated at her side. She blinked at the feeling and withdrew it, concealing it in the tangle of her blond wig and using it as if it were a cell phone.

"Hello?" she muttered into it. On the other end, it was Luce. "Hey... What's up?"

As the twenty year old was occupied with her friend, Daffodil wandered off. Her giddiness had turned to boredom; she was tired of waiting to go to up north. To remedy this, she decided to explore. The Raichu's head shifted left and right as she watched up into the faces of trainers and Pokemon she was unfamiliar with. This occupied study of others muddled her direction of walking and she eventually bumped into an unknown woman's leg. Whenever the woman turned to her, the Raichu shifted back in fright. She was scary! Daffodil's mouth turned to a squiggly line as she shivered with fright and suddenly, without warning, the Raichu shocked her with a Thunderbolt.

Lennyka blinked at the flickering that happened in her periphery. Turning her head to it, her eyes widened and she quickly rushed up to the source.

"s**t!" she cursed aloud, causing Luce to sputter on the other end.

"Hey, what's going on?" the woman asked in a concerned tone.

"My Raichu, it looks like she did something," she replied. "I'll call you back."

Hastily ending the call, the Rocket agent caught up to her Raichu. Upon seeing Lennyka, Daffodil retreated from Willa and hid behind the woman's legs.

"Oh, Arceus," she gasped. "I'm sorry! So so sorry!"

Page was once again shoving just about everything she owned into a huge backpack, and an extra suitcase (and stuffing her largest purse as well for good measure). She still hadn't quite got the idea that you didn't need a month's worth of clothing for a weekend away. Nor did you need half of your personal library when you were going to be active and having fun.

But she liked having options!

The flyer sat on top of the bulging suitcase and Data, her pikachu, eyed it warily. "Chuuuuu..."

"Think of it as a bonding opportunity! We might even get you some battles!" Ivory had brought her the flyer, but when asked if she wanted to go, had steadfastly refused. It was the buizel's refusal that had the pikachu on edge.

"I know their rep isn't that great but those silly city folk are probably just blowing things out of proportion. I mean, they can't keep hosting tours if they end so horribly can't they?" Of course, Page conveniently chose to ignore the fact that sheltered as she was, she wasn't much better than those 'city folk' she spoke of. Data still wasn't convinced, but when Page was packed and ready he willingly went into his pokeball.


Her backpack was heavy, and the young girl staggered as she carried it and dragged her suitcase through the snow to the meeting point. Thinking ahead was something she still needed to work on. Despite that, she had a huge grin on her face, her breath coming in icy puffs as she heaved the pack off her back and let it drop into the snow at her feet. There were already so many here! A few faces she thought she recognized from the last tour she'd gone on.

The event has caught his eye a while ago, of course he was a bit skeptical about who was running the entire thing, but it wouldn't stop him. Plus the boy had mentioned to Henry about it and he was suppose to meet the boy here, if he could get away from home. Flora, Zak's Seadra, was out in his arms as he looked around the group of trainers that had formed looking for Henry. While looking around Zak spotted Remmy and Cara, putting it in the back of his mind to find them later and chat with them.

Lennyka pursed her lips. Off-duty or not, it reminded her why she preferred to be around people who were Rockets. They were much easier to tolerate. Balling her last hand into a fist, she offered her best smile and replied, "I couldn't do that to Daffodil... Besides, I'm sure she enjoys the freedom. She just wandered off for a second, just as Pokemon do. Though why she shocked you, I'd like to apologize again. She just got frightened."